The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-07
TREESTHATARE NOT SPARED
How Lumber Dealers Are Annihilating
The Poplar Forests of the Country.
The Entire Source of Supply Likely To Be
Exhausted Within Twenty Years-How
Prices on Lumber Are Going Up.

For the past eight years L. V. Boyle form erly
in the lumber business in this city. has been en-
gagged In the same line in West Tennessee. That
section of the country was once rich in poplar
forests. from which the great supplies for the
North have within ten years been taken. but
they are now thinned out 81 have been in the
business thirty six years." he said "and during
that time have gone from Indiana TO other
States for supplies of poplar. l once had
agent in Boone county, this State, to purchase
poplar trees. Over So 600. 600 was spent in this
way, but the Indiana forests have been exhaust
ed. and from our mills in Tennessee We are ship
ping largely to Boone coun ty and other places
IN Indiana where q few years ago poplar trees
could be had for the asking. We once sold GER
tain kinds Of lumber in Logansport for $40 per
Thousand feet, delivered on the canal. For the
same kind we now getting $50 per thousand.
Kokomo, Greenfield, Vincennes, Anderson and
other towns and cities had the lumber we now
ship to them from the South at their doors.
This shows how rapidly the Indiana forests have
been depleted. Once could get walnut trees
on the upper Wabash for twenty-five cents, but
before the supply was fully exhausted paid $500
per tree. So with other kinds of trees suitable
for lumber; the prices gradually advanced as the
forests were thinned out, until there moth
ing left to buy, even at the highest figure"
care any means taken for continuing the
forests in the SOUTH" was asked.
mo; every tree cut down is gone forever Our
firm has in West Tennessee 5000 acres of poplar
lands. When first went there, in 1879, we
paid s. so per acre. The price then advanced to
So, then to $40. and so gradually until We
now pay 500. OFF those 1000 acres cut from
$4,000, 900 to 40 000 QUO feet annually, and there
is in sight about ten years supply. When that
is gone the poplar forests in this country will be
practically at end That lumber is
in greater demand now than pine, on account of
Its comparative cheaDness and durability. 1t is
from 81 to $40 cheaper than the best pine. You
can Judge how rapidly these forests going
when you consider that the annual output of
poplar is 100 900 600 feet OF all kinds of lum-
Der the yearly output is hundred thousand
million feet, and it is estimated that the
OF this enormous supply will be exhausted in
less than twenty years"
Then what will the builders do9'
Use iron. stone or brick, as they DO in Eu-
rope; but the present generation will go using
lumber After q while, though, il will be sold
only at luxurious prices. Since natural gas has
come into use in this State our shipments have
increased 40 per cent Where, in Anderson.
for instance, we sold only three four car
loads OF lumber in a year, the past season
sold fifty. That is fair proportion of the in
crease of our business in Indiana The poplar
growing. TO cut them down re-.
quires only q few years. Attempts have
Uccu tnaoo 10 renew tQem, OUT the trees Tor
some cause do not grow we'll and will not be-
come useful for lumber Trees a thousand years
old have been cut down our lands and have
seen many that were 200 300 and 400 years old
One OF them that was q sapling long before
America Was discovered, on being sawed into
lumber the other day. yielded IL. 900 feet The
growth of an old tree is hardly perceptible. It
will not average an increase from year to year,
in circumference. more than the sixteenth of an
inch.
Seventeen years ago the Northern people in
West Tennessee were few, but since 1880 the
population from that source has largely in
creased, Mr.. Boyle says. Memphis regard"
he continued. 1.-THE Chicago of the South. It
was wonderful cotton market and next to that
product lumber ranks a of wealth.
Another feature down there is the strong Pro
hibition sentiment. It is increasing TO an extent
that incorporative towns are giving up their
charters in order avail themselves of
the statutory law in keeping saloons
out of their limits. The Tennessee law pro-
hibirs saloons and retail liquor selling within
four miles of public school-house except in
incorporated towns. It would be hard to find a
locality in West Tennessee where the school
houses are more than four miles apart, SO the
law is in effect prohibitory. Troy. the county
eeat of Obion county. gave mp its charter. So
did others, In order to put down the liquor deal
ers. The dearest point to Troy whore LIQUOR
can be legally sold is Union City twenty miles
away. All these towns showing the in
fuence OF increased population from the North,
and IN time West Tennessee will be one of the
most important sections of the Union"